Elevator system



NOV. 23, 1937. H, WATERS r AL 2,100,177

ELEVATOR 5Y5 TEM Original Filed Jan. 31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l FLOOR CONTROLLER 780 TRACTION SHEAVE BRAKE HOISTINGM m4 ERWEIGHT HALL BUTTON HALL BUTTONSQE Hrs 14! W017 wzcw. WM (1 INVENTORS ATTORNEY HALL BUTTON Nov. 23, 1937. H. WATERS ET AL 2,100,177

' ELEVATOR SYSTEM Original Filed Jan. 31, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGZ Ha/boed. Wm W WM 6 INVENTORS Maflwm, 3 21.

5W ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 23, 1937 ELEVATOR SYSTEM Original application January 31, 1936, Serial No. 61,762. Divided and this application October 30, 1936, Serial No. 108,380

4 Claims. (Cl. 18729) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The invention relates to elevator systems.

This application is a division of the application of Waters, Paulson and Troster, Serial No. 61,762, filed January 31, 1936.

The invention is directed to elevator systems embodying mechanism controlled by movement of the elevator car and is particularly directed to elevator systems in which the mechanism controlled by movement of the car is utilized to initiate slowing down of the car. Such mechanism is usually in the form of a device movable in accordance with movement of the elevator car for cooperating with stationary devices for the various landings. It is desirable, in order that the control of the car in slowing down may be satisfactorily carried out, that the cooperation between the movable device and the stationary devices be effected at exact distances from the landings.

It is the principal object of the invention to effect operation of mechanism controlled by movement of the elevator car at exact distances from the landings. More specifically, it is an object of the invention to utilize such operation to initiate slow down of the car preparatory to stopping at the landings.

The invention involves the provision of means for efiecting the desired operation by movement of the movable device out of cooperative relationship with the stationary devices.

The invention is particularly applicable to installations in which push buttons are provided for the various landings and in which the car caused to stop automatically at the landings for which push buttons are operated. In the parent application, above referred to, an elevator system of the collective type is described, in which push buttons are provided at the landings for operation by intending passengers to call the car to the landings, in which push buttons are provided in the car for the landings for operation by the passengers to send the car to their destinations, and in which the car stops at the floors for which calls are registered by the pressing of the push buttons, in the order of succession of floors, regardless of the order in which the calls are registered.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a simplified schematic representation of an elevator installation of one elevator embodying the invention, and is carved out of Figure l of the parent application;

Figure 2 is a simplified wiring diagram, carved out of Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings of the parent application, illustrating certain of the control circuits of these drawings. The elements of the drawings of this application have been given the same reference characters as those of the parent application. The control circuits are for a seven floor installation.

For a general understanding of the invention, reference may be had to Figure 1, wherein various parts of the system chosen to illustrate the principles of the invention are indicated either by reference characters or by legend. The elevator car is raised and lowered by means of a hoisting motor. This motor drives a traction sheave over which pass the hoisting ropes for the car and counterweight. An electromechanical brake is provided and is applied to effect the final stopping operation and to hold the car when at rest.

A plurality of push buttons are arranged in the car, one button being provided for each floor. These push buttons, to be known as car buttons, are for operation by entering passengers to dispatch the car to the desired destinations. Up and down push buttons are arranged at the intermediate floors. An up push button is arranged at the bottom floor and a down push button at the top floor. The push buttons at the floors, to be known as hall buttons, are for calling a car and causing it to be brought to a stop at the floor for which the push button is provided. As illustrative of the invention, only those circuits utilized in connection with initiating slow down of the car at landings for which car buttons have been operated are shown.

The mechanism controlled by movement of the elevator car is illustrated as a floor controller driven by the elevator car. This drive is by means of a chain, indicated by dot-and-dash lines, connected at one end to the top of the car framework and extending upwardly therefrom to the traction sheave, passing around this sheave in the groove provided therein. The other end of the chain is connected through a rod 2'36 to a weight 731 arranged within the frame of the counterweight, being guided therein for relative movement with respect to the counterweight by guide rods 138. The chain meshes with the driving sprocket "I33 for the floor controller.

The floor controller comprises a frame within which a crosshead F534 is arranged for vertical movement. This crosshead is driven by chain 162 connected at its ends to the crosshead and passing around lower and upper sprockets 150 and l6l respectively. The lower sprocket is arranged on a shaft driven through a train of gears by driving sprocket 133. Thus, upon rotative movement of driving sprocket 133 by movement of the elevator car, the floor controller crosshead is actuated through the train of gears, sprockets 160 and 16! and chain 162 in accordance with movement of the car.

The crosshead carries a plurality of contacting elements, including brushes 311, 320, 312, and 313. These brushes are arranged for cooperation with stationary contacts for the various floors, as will be described in connection with Figure 2, these contacts being illustrated as arranged on vertical bars 188.

Referring now to Figure 2, the car buttons act through floor relays designated generally by the letter C. These floor relays are of the latching type. Such a relay comprises an operating coil for causing the operation of the relay, latching mechanism for latching the relay in operated condition, and a reset coil energizable to release the latching mechanism.

In the circuits illustrated, brushes 326 and 313, which are moved in accordance with movement of the elevator car, cooperate with stationary contacts 351, 362, 28!, 260, 231, 2H3, and I93, while brushes 351 and 312, which are also moved in accordance with movement of the elevator car, cooperate with stationary contacts 332, 3M, 280, 251, 2st, 2 l5, and I92, the stationary contacts of each set being for the first to the seventh floors respectively. Brush 311 cooperates with its stationary contacts during up car travel to pick up any car call which is registered, while brush 312 cooperates with these stationary contacts during down car travel to pick up any car call which is registered. Brushes 32!! and 313 and their stationary contacts are for controlling the point at which slow down is initiated in making stops at the floors. Brush 32!] is effective during up car travel, while brush 313 is effective during down car travel. During up car travel, when a call is picked up, the stationary contact for the landing for which such call is registered is rendered effective for cooperation with brush 320. This brush is set so as to be in engagement with the contact at the time the call is picked up. The circuits are arranged so that the car is maintained in operation until brush 320 leaves the contact, whereupon slow down begins. A similar operation is effected by means of brush 313 during downward travel of the car.

The electromagnetic switches illustrated are designated generally as follows:

PH--pick up holding relay PRpick up relay SL-slow downswitch Contacts UP391, UP iSl, DN386 and DNMII are direction contacts for rendering the brushes effective for the proper direction of car travel. Contacts UAlB i and DAI85 are up and down auxiliary direction relay contacts utilized in effecting the farthest stop in each direction of travel, as set forth in the parent application. 82 and 885 are key operated service switches in the car. These switches are for preventing unwarranted operation of the elevator car, switch I52 being closed during day-time operation. The slow down switch SL is of the latching type, having an operating coil and a restoring coil. Only the restoring coil SL541! is shown in the circuits illustrated.

Assume that the car has been started in the up direction from the first floor and that the fourth floor car button 255 has been pressed. The pressing of this button energizes coil 40212 of the fourth floor car button relay. This relay operates to engage contacts Q0213, connecting fourth fioor floor controller contact 251 through restoring coil 4C256 of the floor relay to ground Wire GW. The floor relay, upon operation, is latched, thereby remaining in operated condition after the fourth floor car button is released.

Owing to the fact that the car is set for travel in the up direction, contacts DNSBS and UP431 are closed and contacts UPSill and DNe lil are separated, rendering brushes 351 and 32B effective and brushes 312 and 313 ineffective during up car travel. As the car nears the fourth floor landing, up brushes 3!! and 320 engage fourth floor stationary contacts 251 and 268 respectively. The engagement of brush 3l1 with contact 251 completes a circuit through restoring coil 4C256 and contacts 50213 of the fourth fioor car button relay, contact 25l', brush 3E1, direction contacts DN386 and UPQST, coil PR41I of the pick up relay, resistance 4%, to wire (3+. The voltage thus applied to the reset coil of the fourth floor car button relay is not sufiicient to reset this coil. The pick up relay PR, however, operates to separate contacts PRfi lil and engage contacts PRlS'l and PRBSQ. The separation of contacts PRS SE] prevents the energizaticn of restoring coil SL5 of the slow down switch upon engagement of contacts PREL Q, the slow down switch having been latched in operated condition incident to the starting of the car. The engagement of contacts PRl81 establishes a circuit for holding coil P115815 of the pick up relay from wire GW through brush 323 and stationary contact 266, contacts DN385, contacts UP 531, coil PRMI, resistance 455, to wire G+.

The engagement of contacts P1353 3 completes a circuit for coil 1 1E535 of the pick up holding relay from wire GW through contacts AFSMZ of the auxiliary fast andsiow speed switch, closed during the starting of the car, to wire 6+. The pick up holding relay PH, upon operation, engages contacts Pl lsl, by-passing contacts PREM to establish a self-holding circuit. It also engages contacts PIT-i533, establishing a short-circuit for coil PR ill of the pick up relay and a portion of resistance 596. Coil P312533 maintains the pick up relay operated after the short-circuit of coil P1341! takes place. The short-circuit of coil PRMI and resistance @95 increases the voltage applied to restoring coil tC256 of the fourth floor car button relay sufficiently to cause this relay to be reset.

Coil PRIBS maintains the pick up relay operated until brush 325; leaves contact 2'69. When this disengagement occurs, the circuit for coil PRI83 is broken and the pick up relay drops out to separate contacts P3581 and P3534 and to reengage contacts PREQB. Inasmuch as the pick up holding relay PH is self-holding through contacts PH531, the reengagement of contacts PRBGB completes the circuitthrough contacts PH631 for restoring coil SLli ll of the slow down switch. The energization of coil SLMI releases the latch of the slow down switch, permitting this switch to drop out. The reset of the slow down switch causes the slowing down of the car to be initiated. The car is thereafter brought to a stop at the fourth floor landing. Contacts AFSB SZ separate incident to the slow down operation to deenergizecoils SLMI and Pl-IB35.

As explained in the parent application, response is had to all push buttons, regardless of the time or order in which the push buttons are pushed, since the contacts of the floor relays, once in engagement, are maintained so until released by reset operations. Usually, the push buttons are pressed prior to the engagement of the corresponding stationary contacts by the brushes cooperating therewith. However, a push button may be pressed while the stationary contact is being engaged by the brush. While the duration of contact of the brush with the stationary contact may be quite short, nevertheless it is appreciable and may amount to from one to several feet of car travel. Thus, if slow down is initiated by the completion of a circuit through the brush and a stationary contact, the slow down distance becomes a variable, resulting either in the possibility of the car overrunning the floor when the button is pushed late or an undesirably long slow down to obviate this possibility. By waiting upon the disengagement of the brush from the stationary contact to initiate slow down, an exact slow down distance is provided, insuring uniform slow down and accurate stopping.

It is the principle of the invention to effect an operation by movement of a movable device out of cooperative relationship with a stationary device rather than by movement of the movable device into cooperative relationship with the stationary device. An arrangement of mechanism and circuits has been described for carrying out this principle, but it is to be understood that various arrangements of circuits and mechanism may be employed without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. It is to be further understood that the principles of the invention may be employed to cause elevator operations other than initiating slow down of the elevator car. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

- 1. In combination; an elevator car movable in a hatchway to serve a plurality of landings; a plurality of circuit controlling means, one for each of said landings; means common to said circuit controlling means and adapted upon movement with resp ct thereto to cooperate therewith individually in succession; means for causing movement of said common means with respect to said circuit controlling means in accordance with movement of the car; means operable to slow down the car; and means responsive to the movement of said common means out of cooperative relationship with said circuit controlling means for a landing for causing operation of said slow down means to slow down the car at the landin for which such circuit controlling means is provided.

2. In combination; an elevator car movable in a hatchway to serve a plurality of landings; a

plurality of circuit controlling means, one for each of said landings; means common to said circuit controlling means and adapted upon relative movement with respect thereto to cooperate therewith individually in succession; means for causing relative movement of said common means and said circuit controlling means in accordance with movement of the car; means operable to slow down the car; means responsive to relative movement of said common means and said circuit controlling means for a landing into cooperative relationship for preparing said slow down means for operation to slow down the car at the landing for which such circuit controlling means is provided; and means responsive to relative movement of said common means and such circuit controlling means out of cooperative relationship to complete operation of said slow down means to initiate slowing down the car at such landing.

3. In combination; an elevator car movable in a hatchway to serve a plurality of landings; a plurality of controls, one for each of said landings; a plurality of stationary contacts, one for each of said landings; a movable contact common to said stationary contacts and adapted upon movement with respect thereto to engage them individually in succession; means for causing movement of said movable contact with respect to said stationary contacts in accordance with movement of the car; means operable to cause slow down of the car; and means responsive to the disengagement of said movable contact from a stationary contact for a landing for which a control is operated to cause operation of said slow down means to initiate slowing down the car at such landing.

4. In combination; an elevator car movable in a hatchway to serve a plurality of landings; a plurality of controls, one for each of said landings; a plurality of stationary contacts, one for each of said landings; a movable contact common to said stationary contacts and adapted upon movement with respect thereto to engage them individually in succession; means for causing movement of said movable contact with respect to said stationary contacts in accordance with movement of the car; means operable to cause slow down of the car; means responsive to movement of said movable contact into engagement with a stationary contact for a landing for which a control is operated for preparing said slow down means for operation to slow down the car at such landing; and means responsive to the disengagement of said movable contact from the stationary contact for such landing to complete operation of said slow down means to initiate slowing down of the car at such landing.

HAROLD WATERS. ARTHUR WILLARD PAULSON. MATHEW TROSTER, JR. 

